Puzzles, Predicaments and Perplexities

Puzzles, Predicaments,
and Perplexities

Credits

Writing, Page Layouts: Steve "Jaspor" Orr
Writing: Bill Putrino

Editing: Matthew "Regitnui" Booth
Maps: Bill Putrino, Christian Petermann
Stain Images and Blending Guide: AeronDrake & QalarValar

Layout Tool: GM Binder
Map Tools: Ye Olde Map Maker, Arkenforge
All other images courtesy the DMs Guild Resources.

Version 1.0 - June 4, 2019

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand,
Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the

Coast in the USA and other countries.

This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with
permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.

All other original material in this work is copyright 2019 by Steven Orr, Bill Putrino, and Christian Petermann and
published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.

Contents

Introduction 4 A List In Chains....................................................................15
The Puzzle....................................................................................15
Scaling the Puzzle Difficulty........................................................4 The Solution.................................................................................15
Opening Doors and More .............................................................4 Hints and Handout ......................................................................16
Making the Puzzles Your Own....................................................4
Pushing Forward Back ..................................................17
The Puzzles 5 The Puzzle....................................................................................17
The Solution.................................................................................17
Colors and Clatter.............................................................5 Hints ...............................................................................................17
The Puzzle.......................................................................................5
The Solution....................................................................................5 Like Clockwork.................................................................... 18
Hints ..................................................................................................6 The Puzzle....................................................................................18
The Solution.................................................................................18
Under Pressure.......................................................................6 Hints ...............................................................................................19
The Puzzle.......................................................................................6
Solutions ..........................................................................................6 Key Words..................................................................................20
Hints ..................................................................................................7 The Puzzle....................................................................................20
The Triangle Lock................................................................8 The Solution.................................................................................21
The Puzzle.......................................................................................8 Hints and Tips ..............................................................................21
The Solution....................................................................................8
Hints and Handouts .......................................................................9 Appendix A: Puzzle Traps ............................................. 22
Appendix B: Triangle Lock ..........................................24
Red Light, Green Light ..................................................10 Appendix C: Button Panel Runes ..........................25
The Puzzle.....................................................................................10 Appendix D: Sand Sculpture Symbols ...............26
Customizing The Puzzle............................................................10 Appendix E: Chain Handle Designs ....................27
The Solution.................................................................................10 Appendix F: Maps................................................................. 28
Hints ...............................................................................................11
Under Pressure............................................................................28
Sand Sculptures..................................................................11 Mirror, Mirror A ........................................................................... 29
The Puzzle.....................................................................................11 Mirror, Mirror B...........................................................................30
The Solution.................................................................................11 Key Words A................................................................................. 31
Hints ...............................................................................................12 Key Words B.................................................................................32

Mirror, Mirror....................................................................13
The Puzzle.....................................................................................13
The Solution.................................................................................14
Tips and Hints ..............................................................................14

Introduction For lower-level characters or newer players, the puzzle itself
may provide enough of a challenge without the extra threat of
Adventurers will find themselves tested in many a fireball landing on their heads if they press the wrong
ways during their careers seeking fame, fortune, button. For higher-level characters or experienced players,
justice, and truth. Some of these tests will that threat can transform a tedious exercise in pattern
challenge their strength, agility, spellcasting identification into a potentially deadly encounter. Several of
knowledge, and combat skills. Other encounters the puzzles have a sidebar entitled Raise The Stakes that
will require diplomacy, conversation, includes optional additions to make the encounter more
observation skills, and social interaction. A rare difficult or dangerous. Appendix A includes a table with
challenge presents elements of both and requires deeper suggested traps that can be scaled to match the level of the
thinking and analysis. Puzzles meant to guard treasure and party.
secrets present a unique challenge to characters and players.
While these puzzles may be designed to prevent intruders Opening Doors and More
from entering places where they are not welcome, they also By their very nature, these puzzles are constructed as
suggest a worthy reward lies on the other side. mandatory obstacles for the adventurers to overcome by
finding the correct solution. For many of these puzzles, that is
Puzzles, Predicaments, and Perplexities presents ten represented by a locked door that can only be opened by
original puzzles for your Dungeon & Dragons 5th Edition solving the puzzle. While a locked door may be the most
campaign. These encounters are designed to be inserted into common and logical choice as a barricade forcing the party to
your adventures at any point with minimal preparation engage with the puzzle, a variety of options can be substituted
needed. Each puzzle is presented with a description of how it as best suits your particular campaign or adventure. Some
works, its solution, and several hints that can be provided to other options for successfully solving a puzzle include:
the players if they are having trouble solving it. The hints are
provided in a way to direct the players towards the solution Opening a locked chest.
without giving away the complete answer directly. The full Uncovering a hidden message.
solution should not be revealed to the players until all the Transporting the party to an alternate plane.
hints have been exhausted and it has become apparent the Unlocking the shackles of a chained prisoner.
puzzle will not be solved. It is our hope this will be a rare Closing a magical portal.
occurrence, as the answers to unlock the solutions should Revealing an invisible artifact.
become evident by slowly revealing more about each puzzle There is also an opportunity to chain together several of the
using the provided clues. puzzles so that they connect with one another. For example,
the two keys needed for the Triangle Lock can be found in a
Scaling The Puzzle Difficulty closed chest that can only be opened by solving Colors and
The puzzles, as presented, are intended for Tier 1 (levels 1-4) Clatter and behind a door guarded by Sand Sculptures.
characters. However, they are easily adaptable for all levels.
Some simple adjustments can be made to scale the difficulty Making the Puzzles Your Own
up for higher level characters. While the puzzles as presented here are suitable for plugging
right into any adventure with no need to change them, DMs
Adjusting the DC for related skill checks is the most are encouraged to adjust and customize the puzzles to better
convenient method for changing the difficulty of a puzzle. The fit their own game. There are numerous ways to customize
recommendation would be to increase the DC by 2 points for each puzzle. This can include making the puzzles more
each Tier over 1. For example, a check that is described here personal to your group of adventurers, adjusting the puzzle
as requiring a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check descriptions to fit the setting of your dungeon, changing the
would become a DC 15 for Tier 2 (levels 5-10) characters, DC symbols or languages involved to match your game world, or
17 for Tier 3 (levels 11-16) characters, and DC 19 for Tier 4 involving known NPCs as part of the solution. The puzzles
(levels 17+) characters. Keep in mind that, ultimately, the presented provide the frameworks for logical and solvable
players should succeed in solving the puzzle. It should be problems and solutions that can be shaped and personalized
challenging, but not impossible. Adjusting the DC of the to fit your adventure.
associated skill checks is one way to tune the difficulty of the
challenge.

The puzzles included can also be comprised of a trap
component to punish characters for attempting incorrect
solutions. These traps are meant to increase the sense of
danger and urgency around finding the proper solution to the
puzzle. The inclusion or exclusion of these traps also provide
a technique for adjusting the difficulty of the puzzles.

4

The Puzzles Physical Position Color Sound Correct Order
1 Black Roar 2
The puzzles in this book have been devised in a 2 Yellow Buzz 3
fashion that they can be inserted into almost 3 Blue Lute 5
any adventure at logical points. This could 4 Green Wind 4
include adding additional challenges within 5 Red Bell 1
officially published adventures or inserting new
obstacles into your own custom adventure. The room also contains the skeletal remains of an
Some may be more challenging than others, unfortunate adventurer who failed to solve the puzzle. A
though a puzzle that appears simple at first may surprise you successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence
by stumping the players. Every adventuring party is different, (Investigation) check reveals a scorched piece of paper in the
and the way they approach challenges such as those skeleton’s hand. While the edges of the paper are blackened
presented here can vary drastically. Be prepared and open- and burnt, the words are still legible:
minded when players surprise you while dealing with these
trials. The second lever will sound like a roar
A primary first helps open the door
Colors and Clatter
The last lever pulled is the color of sky
This particular encounter is a logic puzzle in which the After the second will buzz like a fly.
characters must use clues and some trial and error in order to
deduce the solution. The characters enter a room with five This information gives the characters everything they need to
separate levers and they must pull the levers in the correct figure out the order of the levers once they know the sound
order to unlock a door out of the room. A note found in the each one plays. Unfortunately for them, they will have to pull
room provides clues to the proper order. Each lever has a the levers in order to discover their sounds, which means they
unique color on its handle, and pulling each lever causes a will trigger the trap at least once unless they get extremely
distinct sound to play. When the levers are pulled in the lucky and get everything right the first time.
incorrect order, a trap shoots from the wall and damages
those in its path. When the levers are pulled in the correct The Solution
order, the locked door opens, and characters can proceed into The note reveals the order of the levers, either by direct
the next room. statement or by process of elimination. Walking through each
line:
The Puzzle
The levers begin in the upright position, with their handles “The second lever will sound like a roar” - Once the levers
pointing straight up towards the ceiling. They can be pulled in have been pulled, it will be revealed that black lever causes the
only one direction, downwards in the direction away from the roaring sound, so the black lever is the second one pulled.
locked door. Once a lever has been pulled down into the set
position, it cannot manually be moved back to its original “A primary first helps open the door” - This is probably the
upright position. A character attempting to force the lever most difficult part of the puzzle. The “primary” here is
back into position will quickly realize that the levers are not referring to a primary color - red, blue, and yellow. There is a
very strong and will snap before being successfully forced lever for each of those, so the trick here is to figure out if
back into position. A character who insists on forcing the lever there’s a way to assign two of the three colors to other
will break it in half with a successful DC 16 Strength check. positions. There is. More on this later.
The lever can still be used while broken.
“The last lever pulled is the color of sky” - This is easy
When all five levers have been pulled into their down enough. The sky is blue, so the blue lever will be in the final, or
positions, there are two possible outcomes. If the levers were fifth, position. This also eliminates blue as one of the primary
pulled in the correct order, the locked door will automatically colors possible for the first position. That means the first lever
open. The door will remain open and the levers remain in has to be either red or yellow.
their pulled position for one hour, after which the levers reset
and the door closes. If the levers were pulled in an incorrect “After the second will buzz like a fly” - “After the second” is a
order, a trap is triggered. See Appendix A for guidance on trap confusing way of indicating the third position. Pulling the
types and damage. After the trap has been fired, the levers levers will reveal the yellow one causes the buzzing sound.
reset themselves into their original upright position. That places the yellow lever in the third position. It also places
another primary color, meaning that red is the only primary
Each of the levers has a pronounced color painted on its color remaining without a set position. By process of
handle. Each lever also causes a unique sound to play elimination, it goes into the first position.
throughout the room. The table on this page lists the position
of the levers with their handle colors, audible tone, and order With four levers placed in their positions, only one lever and
they must be pulled for the correct solution. one position remain open. The green lever slides into the
fourth position.

5

In summary, the solution is: Characters who examine the diamond on the floor with a
1st - Red: The only primary color not explicitly given a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom
position by the clue. (Perception) check will notice that it seems to be more than
2nd - Black: Emits the roar sound when pulled. just a painting but also a carving. A successful DC 13
3rd - Yellow: “After second” position, emits the buzzing Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check will
sound when pulled. also reveal that the shape appears to be a pressure plate.
4th - Green: The only lever and position not mentioned in When a character steps onto the pressure plate for the first
the clue. time, read or summarize the following:
5th - Blue: The color of sky in the final position.
Hints As you step onto the diamond shape, you feel it begin to sink
Should players be unable to solve this puzzle and if they have into the floor slightly. A noise that sounds like rocks grinding
triggered the trap 2 or 3 times, allow them to perform skill together fills the room. The stone door in the hallway begins to
checks of their choice to learn more about the puzzle. The lift slowly and then stops, revealing a sliver of an opening at its
hints provided by the DM should be based upon what aspect bottom.
players are getting stuck on. A few possible hints:
Players should be encouraged to take precise notes As each additional character steps on the diamond, the door
regarding which color levers result in what sounds. opens an inch more. When the final character steps on the
With a successful DC 11 Intelligence (History) or Wisdom diamond, the door opens completely. When any character
(Survival) check, they realize “primary” refers to the steps off the diamond, the door slams closed. The characters
primary colors, which are red, blue, and yellow. must all step off and back on the diamond in order for it to
With a successful DC 10 Intelligence check, they open again. The challenge is to figure out how the group
understand that the phrase “after second” means the same keeps the door open when it will only be fully open if the
as “third.” entire group is on the diamond. There are several possible
If four levers are placed in their proper positions, a solutions.
successful DC 12 Intelligence check reveals that the fifth
and final lever will fit into the only remaining position. Solutions
The easiest solution is to find something to put on the
Under Pressure diamond that weighs as much as (or more than) the combined
weight of the entire party. The group could get creative with
This particular puzzle is fairly simple on the surface, but may this using spells or magic items that could potentially create
require some creativity and environmental awareness for the this scenario. However, the most readily available solution
party to overcome it. would be to use something that was found in the environment.
The Puzzle For this to work, it’s important that the DM describe this
There is a locked door on one end of the room with no environmental feature in one of the areas leading up to this
obvious hinges, locks, handles, or other ways to open it. The room. Map 1.1 provides an example scene that includes
door does not move when pushed, pulled, or otherwise environmental items which could be used as weights. See
manually forced. The door is opened by applying enough Appendix F for a larger view of this map and an alternate
weight to a pressure plate in the room. The trick here is that version. A few examples include:
“enough weight” is equal to the combined weight of all
members of the party. Read the following when the group Several large boulders in the courtyard approaching the
enters the room: keep.
A toppled statue obstructing the path leading into the
This square room is 20 feet wide on each side and has a small ruins.
10 foot long hallway across from where you entered. You can Pieces of broken columns strewn about a nearby room in
see a stone door closed at the end of that short hallway. On the the dungeon.
floor in the center of the room is a large diamond shape A large stone bookcase in the library of the castle.
outlined in orange, with a red triangle painted in its center. Of course, if the item weighs more than the entire party
There is nothing else of note in the room. combined, it will take some effort to move the item to the
puzzle room and place it on the pressure plate. Allow each
character to contribute to the effort by making a Strength skill
check. The total combined DC of all the rolls added together
should be 7 multiplied by the number of characters in the
group. For a three person party, a DC of 21; a four person
party, a DC of 28; a five person party, a DC of 35. The items
are large enough that all the party members can contribute to
the task of carrying it. A failed check results in one level of
fatigue for each character who attempted to carry the item.

6

Another approach to solving this problem would be to get Raising the Stakes
through the door while it is open. This is nearly impossible
from a distinctively physical point of view, with the characters For Dungeon Masters who would like to make this
attempting to race to the fully opened door from their location puzzle a bit more dangerous, a simple trap can be
on the diamond pressure plate. The door is 20 feet from the added to the encounter. When any creature enters
center of the room and it begins to shut instantly once the the space next to the closed door, a trap is fired
character steps from that spot. A successful DC 33 Strength from the door. The trap shoots out in a straight line
(Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check is required to get (which will cross over a section of the pressure
through the door before it slams shut. On a failed check, the plate) for 100 feet. See Appendix A for options for
character takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage from slamming into this trap. The trap resets when the door has been
the closed door. completely opened and closes again or after 20
minutes have passed. The trap is disabled and will
Without the ability to move at insanely fast speeds and race not trigger if the door is approached while it is
through the slamming door before it shuts, other options are completely opened with enough weight on the
available. A teleportation spell, such as misty step or associated pressure plate.
dimension door, could allow a character to magically move
from their spot on the diamond into the room before the door Hints
closes. There is also the possibility a character can slip Characters who struggle to come up with the solution can be
through the crack that opens at the bottom of the door when given hints by the DM. Some possible hints given to
some (but not enough) weight is applied to the diamond. bewildered groups include:
While the size of the opening is not large enough for a
humanoid to fit through, shapeshifting spells and abilities A successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom
such as gaseous form and wild shape could allow a character (Survival) check gives a character the idea that someone
to change into a form small enough to slip through this tiny could transform into a mouse (or something similarly
space. small) and slip under the slightly opened door.
A successful DC 12 Intelligence check allows a character
If a character manages to make it through the door alone to recall the presence of heavy looking items in the area
before it closes, a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) that could be stacked on the pressure plate to open the
check reveals a hole in the wall near the door. Inside this hole door.
is a lever that will open the door once it is pulled. When the A successful DC 11 Intelligence (Arcana) check reminds a
lever is pulled the door opens from the inside and will remain player they have a teleportation spell they could likely use
open for one hour, regardless of the weight on the diamond to transport themselves through the door before it can
pressure plate. slam shut.

MAP 1.1 - PRESSURE PLATE, COURTYARD, AND LIBRARY

The Triangle Lock The writing on the keys is what indicates the correct keyholes
needed to unlock the door. However, the keys will turn in any
In this challenge, the party encounters a steel door with 120 of the keyholes. When a key is turned in its incorrect hole, the
keyholes presented in a large triangular shape. The triangle party will hear the sound of metal scraping against stone. This
begins with one keyhole at the top and fifteen keyholes along will act as a clue that something happened with the key turn.
the bottom row. The party must use two keys to turn the That sound is a second door behind the main one that is
correct four keyholes in order to unlock the door. Locating the sliding closed. That second door is also 10 feet tall and 10 feet
keys and identifying the correct keyholes are the means for wide, and begins in a fully opened position. Each incorrect key
solving this puzzle. turn causes the door to lower by two feet. After five incorrect
key turns, the second door is sealed completely shut. The only
The Puzzle way to open this second door is for the party to turn each
The keys used to open the door can be placed anywhere in the incorrect key turn in reverse order from which they were
dungeon, adventure, or campaign. Having them found at turned originally. Each turn will partly open the door by two
different locations well in advance of encountering the door feet, with the fifth turn opening the door completely. It is
can add a bit of intrigue and mystery regarding their purpose possible to have the second door closed while being able to
when they are first discovered. Alternatively, the keys can be open the main door. It is also possible for the party to pass
located nearby, such as in a hidden chest or in the possession through the second door without it being completely opened if
of a hostile creature. The door may be encountered before the they can fit through its current opening.
keys are found, making their retrieval a critical point of
advancement, or the keys may have been discovered long The Solution
before the group comes upon the door. The shape of the triangle and alignment of keyholes in
separate rows mean that there are only two rows where the
Each key is made of brass and measures eight inches in keys can be placed while fulfilling the instructions on both.
length with a triangular handle. The two keys are identical There are fifteen rows in the triangle, with the number of
with the exception of a message engraved on each one. On the keyholes in each row equal to the row’s position. The first row
first key, the engraving says, “Five from the right with three in has one keyhole, the second has two, the third has three, all
between.” The second key’s engraving says, “Five from the left the way down to the fifteenth row having fifteen keyholes.
with three in between.” These words provide the instructions
for placing the keys into their correct holes within the door’s Finding the correct keyholes within this array can seem
triangular locking mechanism. daunting at first, but the words on the keys provide everything
needed to find the solution. The “three in between” part of
The steel door is 10 feet wide and 10 feet high. In the each clue appears on both keys and means that there must be
center of the door are the 120 keyholes in a triangular shape. three keyholes kept empty between the correct keyholes. Now
Surrounding the triangle of keyholes are beautiful decorative the trick is to find which rows allow for the keys to be moved
engravings. These can be customized to fit the theme of your five from the left and right while still providing three empty
adventure or the setting the door is found in. Examples of the key holes between them.
carvings can include animal depictions, dwarven runes, or
demonic visages. The first two locks are found on the fifth row. Starting from
the left and moving the first key “five from the left” puts it in
The door has no visible handle or hinges. However it does the fifth (and final) position on this row. Starting from the
have four very noticeable and large clamps around its edges. right and moving the second key “five from the right” puts it in
The steel clamps originate from behind the door and wrap the first position on this row. That leaves positions two, three,
around its edge at each of its four corners. These clamps and four empty - the three between them that are required.
represent each lock that must be opened in order to open the When each of the keys are placed into these keyholes and
door. When a key is turned in its correct keyhole, one of these turned, the corresponding clasps on the door creak and open -
clamps will make a creaking noise and pivot into an open the top left clasp will open when the key in position one is
position. When all four clamps have been released, the door turned, and the top right clasp will open when the key in
opens. The door cannot be opened by magical means. A position five is turned.
successful DC 12 thieves’ tools skill check can pick the lock in
a specific keyhole, but this has the same effect as turning the The second pair of locks is found on the thirteenth row, two
key in that keyhole. Successfully picking a correct keyhole will rows from the bottom. Starting from the left and moving the
release its door clamp. Successfully picking an incorrect first key “five from the left” puts it in the fifth position on this
keyhole will have the detrimental effect as described below. row. Starting from the right and moving the second key “five
Without the clues on the keys, it is unlikely a character will from the right” puts it in the ninth position on this row. That
discover the correct keyholes by chance. leaves positions six, seven, and eight empty - the three
between them that are required. When each of the keys are
placed into these keyholes and turned, the corresponding
clasps on the door creak and open - the bottom left clasp will
open when the key in position five is turned, and the bottom
right clasp will open when the key in position nine is turned.

8

Raising The Stakes Hints and Handouts
See Appendix B for a handout showing the appearance of the
An option to increase the sense of urgency while triangular keyholes. For players who have difficulty solving
solving this puzzle is having the walls next to the this puzzle, the following clues can help point them towards
door begin to close in on the party once the first the correct solution:
incorrect key is turned. The walls begin 40 feet
apart and close at the rate of 10 feet per round. At Players should be encouraged to make note of which
the end of four rounds, the walls are completely keyholes they have tried, particularly if they need to engage
shut and any characters still standing between them the incorrectly turned holes again in order to open the
take 4d10 bludgeoning damage, are pushed back secondary door.
into the open area away from the door, and are A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check when an
knocked prone. The walls retract back into their incorrect keyhole is turned determines the mistake is
original position 10 minutes after closing causing a secondary door to close behind the main door.
completely. Turning a key in a correct hole will stop A successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check
the walls at their current position. Turning a key in discovers scratches around one of the correct keyholes,
an incorrect hole causes the walls to resume indicating that keys have been placed into that hole more
closing. often than the other holes.
A successful DC 14 thieves’ tools check reveals that the
See Diagram 1.1 for a diagram of the exact solution. In the incorrect keyholes are linked together by the same
diagram, the X’s, A’s, and B’s all represent keyholes. The key mechanical contraption that sends signals to close the
engraved with “five from the right with three in between” will secondary door. Once this has been identified, the
unlock the two keys holes marked with A’s. The key engraved character can locate one of the correct keyholes. A natural
with “five from the left with three in between” will unlock the 20 roll on this check allows the character to find all the
keyholes marked as B’s. correct holes by spending 1d8 hours examining each hole
for its lack of attachment to this mechanism.
DIAGRAM 1.1: TRIANGLE LOCK SOLUTION If the players are struggling with figuring out the proper
keyholes from the clues, a successful DC 10 Intelligence
              X check has them realize that the “three in between” wording
             XX appears on both keys, meaning they should be three holes
            XXX apart on the same row.
           XXXX For players who struggled mightily with the first door, a
          AXXXB benevolent DM might allow that the second door opens or
         XXXXXX is easily bypassed when the puzzle is solved. The purpose
        XXXXXXX of the second door is to have a consequence for turning
       XXXXXXXX keys haphazardly in the incorrect holes, not to further
      XXXXXXXXX discourage frustrated players.
     XXXXXXXXXX
    XXXXXXXXXXX
   XXXXXXXXXXXX
  XXXXBXXXAXXXX
 XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

9

Red Light, Customizing the Puzzle
Green Light This puzzle is extremely easy to customize to fit a specific
adventure, location, or theme, with both the difficulty level and
This puzzle requires the group to decipher contents of the puzzle easily configurable.
symbols, recognize patterns, and deduce a
sequence in order to unlock a door. The The DM can determine how many buttons are on the grid,
locked doorway has two distinct features. but it should be no fewer than nine buttons. The more buttons
Embedded in the wall to the right of the present, the more difficult the puzzle. The symbols or runes
door is a grid made up of stone buttons, on the buttons can be customized by the DM to better fit the
each adorned with a unique symbol. Above environment of the puzzle or the overall theme of their
the door is a series of alternating green and adventure. Similarly, the markings on the buttons can change
red gems, which appear to be emeralds and how they are deciphered by the party. Some examples of
rubies. There are four green gems and adjusting the button symbols include:
three red gems.
Magical runes deciphered by a successful DC 12
The Puzzle Intelligence (Arcana) skill check.
The key to opening the locked door is to get Letter or words written in a foreign language that can be
all four of the green gems illuminated in translated by someone proficient in that language.
order from left to right. When one of the Thieves’ cant symbols that can decoded by a thief in the
stone buttons is pressed, a gem will party.
illuminate. If the button pressed is not one Pictures representing universal holidays and events that
of those needed to unlock the door, a red can be identified by a successful DC 11 Intelligence
gem will light up. If the button pressed is (History) skill check.
one of those needed to unlock the door, its Whichever symbols or markings are chosen, there should
matching green gem will light up, with the be a logical sequence found within them that tells a story the
position of the gem matching the button’s characters can figure out. This can be something such as
position in the correct pattern. For putting the words of identified spells in alphabetical order,
example, if the button pressed is needed for placing symbols for the four seasons in their expected
the sequence in the third position, then the sequence, or following the order of days as they appear on a
third green gem will illuminate. calendar.
The difficulty of this puzzle can also be adjusted by
The panel of buttons is arranged in a increasing or decreasing the number of red and green gems.
rectangular shape, with buttons positioned Increasing or decreasing the number of green gems changes
vertically and horizontally. Appendix C the length (and complexity) of the unlocking sequence.
contains an example set of runes that can Decreasing the number of red gems will raise the chances of
be used for these buttons. The example triggering the trap for incorrect button presses, while
panel contains sixteen buttons arranged in increasing the number of red gems will give the party a bit
a four by four grid. more room for error.

Buttons remain pressed until the puzzle The Solution
has been reset. The puzzle can be reset in The puzzle is conquered when the proper buttons are pressed
three ways: in the correct order, which illuminates the green gems in the
proper sequence from left to right and opens the locked door.
All the red gems are illuminated, which There are essentially two ways to solve the puzzle:
triggers a trap. See the Raising The
Stakes sidebar for details on the trap Trial and error. Since the green gems light up when the
triggered when all three red gems are correct buttons are pressed and the red gems light up
lit. when the incorrect buttons are pressed, players can take
All the green gems are illuminated in notes on which buttons had what effect.
their correct order, which opens the Deciphering the symbols. The markings on the buttons
door. This solves the puzzle. The door will tell a story that implies a specific sequence. Figuring
remains open for six hours before out what the symbols mean is the first step, then they must
closing and the puzzle resetting. recognize a logical sequence among the symbols and press
After an hour of no additional buttons the corresponding buttons in order.
being pressed.

If all of the green lights have been lit up,
but were illuminated in the incorrect order,
the door remains closed. In this situation,
the puzzle needs to be reset before the
correct solution can be entered. This can be
done by waiting an hour for the puzzle to
reset or by forcing it to reset by lighting up
all the red gems and triggering the trap.

10

The most likely outcome will be utilizing a combination of the Sand Sculptures
two. Trying buttons will reveal which ones are correct and in
what position, and that information can help determine the This riddle depends on the group’s ability to see things from
story being told and sequence expected within the symbols. different angles and put together separate components to find
Pressing a wrong button allows the group to immediately the solution.
eliminate it from the correct pattern. In the worst case
scenario, a simple process of elimination will leave the party The Puzzle
with all the correct buttons, though they may be in bad shape The room where this puzzle is found has four waist-high
from triggering the trap several times in the process. pedestals each with different features, as follows:

For the example in Appendix C, the story being told by the The first pedestal has a stone bowl embedded into its top.
Elder Runes is one of the history of a weapon, from its The bowl is filled with fine white sand. The surface of the
creation to its usage. The correct sequence of rune buttons to sand is smooth and flat. The bowl cannot be removed from
be pressed to solve this puzzle is: the pedestal.
1. Earth - Ore is mined from the earth. On the second pedestal rests a feather quill, its tip broken
2. Fire - The ore is heated in a forge to be shaped by its fire. off.
3. Water - The forged weapon is cooled by being quenched in The top of the third pedestal has a series of runes carved
into its surface with a horizontal line below them.
water. On the fourth pedestal lies a piece of a broken sword
4. War - Once completed, the weapon is used in war. blade, its surface polished to be highly reflective.
The door leading out of this chamber is locked and has no
Raising The Stakes visible lock, handle, or hinges. It cannot be opened by
mechanical or magical methods. In order to solve this puzzle
How deadly this puzzle can be depends on the and open the door, the group must use the feather quill to
damage the trap causes when all the red gems are draw the correct pattern in the bowl of sand. That the tip of
lit up. There’s a good chance the party will trigger the quill is broken is irrelevant, since they won’t be doing
the trap at least once (and likely more) while solving actual writing with it, but instead creating the design in the
the puzzle, so keep that in mind. Use Appendix A sand.
for guidance on choosing a trap that is right for The runes carved into the pedestal which make up part of
your party. the solution can be customized to fit the party, adventure, or
setting. Whether or not the characters can recognize or
Hints interpret the symbols is not important for this particular
Characters who struggle to come up with the solution can be puzzle. They only have to be able to draw them in reverse in
given hints by the DM. Some possible hints given to stumped the sand. Understanding what they mean is irrelevant. A set of
parties include: example symbols can be found in Diagram 1.2 on the next
page and in Appendix D.
If the group fails to decipher the symbols or runes based
on a skill check or character knowledge, a successful DC The Solution
10 Intelligence (Arcana or History) check allows one of the Solving this puzzle requires figuring out two main things:
characters to suddenly recall seeing one of the markings in
the past and then remembering the type of symbols they The quill must be used to draw a pattern in the sand.
are. What that pattern should look like.
If characters continue to press the same incorrect buttons The quill and the bowl of sand go together. That leaves the
repeatedly, they can stop resetting after the trap is broken sword blade and runes to provide the rest of the
triggered. If the characters cannot press the incorrect solution. This is done by using the sword blade as a mirror
buttons, they’ll be directed towards the correct buttons. and placing it on the line below the runes. The reflection of
A successful DC 11 Intelligence check will reveal that the the runes in the blade’s surface reveals the symbols to be
order of the correct buttons is important to solving the drawn in the sand. When the group uses the quill to draw
puzzle. The character realizes that the red gems light up these mirrored carved patterns into the surface of the sand,
from left to right in order when pressed, but the green the door slides open.
gems light up in different positions depending on their spot The initial view of the carvings is shown as the group
in the unlock sequence. approaches the pedestal, as shown in Diagram 1.2. In order
for the group to view the reflection of the symbols in the
surface of the blade, they will have to view the markings from
the opposite side of where they first observed them. This view
is displayed in Diagram 1.3 and is simply an upside down
perspective from their initial view. When the sword blade is
placed on the line, the reflection in the mirrored surface
provides the solution to this puzzle. The correct solution for
the sample symbols can found in Diagram 1.4.

11

DIAGRAM 1.2: CARVED RUNES - INITIAL VIEW

DIAGRAM 1.3: CARVED RUNES - OPPOSITE ANGLE VIEW

DIAGRAM 1.4: CARVED RUNES - REFLECTED SOLUTION

Hints and Handouts
See Appendix D for a handout that can be given to players
showing their initial view of the symbols. For groups that
struggle to solve this puzzle, the following clues can be
provided to help guide them towards the solution:

A successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom
(Perception) check shows that the line beneath the carved
symbols is the same length as the sword blade, nudging
the group towards placing the blade on the line.
A character handling the blade will notice its extremely
reflective surface. A successful DC 10 Intelligence
(Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check on the blade
will show that it’s just as reflective as a high-quality mirror.
If an incorrect pattern has been drawn into the sand, or if
its smooth surface has been disrupted in any way, a cool
breeze arises from around that pedestal, blows across the
sand, and makes its surface smooth again. This resets the
puzzle. A character who witnesses this realizes that
drawing in the sand is the key to solving the puzzle with a
successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check.

12

Mirror, Mirror The items can be customized to be random objects the
players might come across within their travels, or they can be
The party will have to be observant and precise to solve this items that would have more personal meaning to the
puzzle, as it depends on noticing things that they might not characters. The table below provides several example items
expect, and then matching those things exactly in order to that can be used based on the classes of the characters in the
solve it. party.

The Puzzle Class Items
This puzzle can be put into any situation where the party is in
a setting that has multiple rooms. The reward for solving this Barbarian two-handed axe
puzzle is meant to be a specific item the group is trying to bear fur cloak
obtain. This could be a magic item, special weapon, required drinking horn
key, or anything else that would relate to your campaign.
Solving this puzzle will award the party the item they seek. musical instrument
The party walks into an ordinary room. When they enter the Bard flamboyant scarf
room, read or summarize the following:
costume mask
As you walk through the door, you notice some simple
furnishings arranged around this room. Several tables and Cleric holy symbol
chairs are set up in groups in the middle of the room. A prayer beads
fireplace with a large mantel is against one wall. Directly across crystal vial of clear liquid
from it on the opposite wall is a giant mirror that takes up
almost the entire wall. Druid specifically colored leaf
deer antlers
The furnishings within the room can be customized by the shillelagh
DM to match the theme of the location, though the fireplace
and mirror should always be present. The room reflected in Fighter two-handed sword
the mirror is an almost exact mirror image of the real room, plate mail helmet
with some notable differences. The room in the mirror shows pair of spiked gauntlets
a few extra items placed in different locations within the
room. These items are not present in the physical room the Monk quarterstaff
party is standing in; they are only visible within the reflection. loose-fitting vest
On the fireplace mantel in the mirrored room sits the item the
party is looking for. pair of sandals

Characters searching the room in general will notice these Paladin shield with a holy symbol on it
phantom items in the reflection with a successful DC 10 plate mail gauntlet
Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check. A golden chalice
successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom
(Perception) check will reveal that the item they are looking Ranger wooden longbow
for is resting on the fireplace mantel within the reflection. Rogue quiver full of arrows
Characters who specifically state they want to look at the Sorcerer
reflection in the mirror will notice the extra items without Warlock long brown cape
requiring a skill check. See Appendix F for two different maps Wizard stack of 10 gold coins
for use with this puzzle. In the example scenario for this
puzzle, the items seen within the reflection are as follows: set of lockpicks
black hood
On a small square side table to the left sits a candle made dragon scale
of black wax, its flame burning steadily, but the candle magic staff
never getting smaller. crystal ball
On a large, round table in the middle of the room rests a
glass vial of red liquid. summoned demon or imp
On the floor, propped up against a wooden chair, is a metal vial of blood
shield.
Resting on the seat of a wooden stool is a gnarled wand. length of metal chain
The item the characters seek, a silver key with a skull magic wand
handle, sits atop the fireplace mantel. spell book

pointy wizard’s hat

13

The Solution
In order to solve this puzzle, the party needs to make the
actual room match what they see in the reflection. The group
will need to gather up these items and place them in the exact
same spots in the real room as they appear in the mirrored
room. The characters will have to look closely as the mirror as
they place the items to make sure the positioning and angle
match precisely. They should only see one instance of the item
when they look at the reflection, so the overlap must be
perfect. Once all the items have been placed properly, a burst
of light flashes from the mirror. At that point, the item they are
seeking will disappear from the reflection and will appear on
the mantel in the real room.

Of course, in order to place the items in the proper
positions, the party will have to possess those items. They
may already own some of the items. They may have to locate
others. Those items could be found within their current
location, or they might have to travel elsewhere to purchase or
discover the items. This puzzle can be used as a central goal
within an adventure that spans multiple sessions, or it can be
solved within a single session if the items are easily
accessible.
Tips and Hints
If the group has trouble figuring out this puzzle, consider
using the following hints to guide them towards the expected
solution:

For parties that are completely stumped about what to do,
a successful DC 11 Intelligence check gives them the idea
of trying to create the reflected scene within their actual
room.
If the group is having trouble locating one of the required
items, give them a random encounter of enemies to fight,
and have the item available to be looted from the corpses
once they’ve defeated the enemies.
A party that leaves this room without noticing the items
within the mirror should be redirected here. This can be
done by an NPC or a note they find that says something
along the lines of, “Beware of that mirror, it has more
power than it seems.”
For groups unsure about placing items in the same
place as their reflections, a signal can be given
when one of the items is properly placed:
“As you place the vial on the table, you notice it
glow briefly before the aura fades away. You get
the feeling this is where it belongs.”

14

A List In Chains Raising the Stakes

A large chasm separates the party from where they are and For this particular puzzle, the chasm offers an
where they need to be. A series of platforms hang from the opportunity to introduce dangerous consequences
ceiling high above them. A set of six chains with symbols on for pulling the incorrect chains. As an optional
them hang from the ceiling. Pulling on these chains will adjust addition to this puzzle, pulling three incorrect
the positioning of the platforms. Pulling the chains in the chains in a row will trigger a gust of wind spell. A
correct sequence will align the platforms in a formation that line of strong wind 60 feet long and 10 feet wide
allows the group to cross the chasm. blasts from the area the chains are hanging towards
the chasm for one round. Each creature that starts
The Puzzle its turn in the line must succeed on a DC 14
This puzzle is better suited for a lower-level group that doesn’t Strength saving throw or be pushed 15 feet
have access to the fly spell or other means of easily crossing towards the chasm. Any creature that would be
the chasm. Since there is no physical barrier preventing the pushed into the chasm by this effect must succeed
group from crossing the gap, they might try and bypass the on a DC 12 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity
actual puzzle by other means. Depending on their abilities and (Acrobatics) check in order to avoid falling into the
creativity, this might be an acceptable solution. However, the chasm. Any friendly character within 5 feet of the
presence of the platforms and marked chains should be affected character may use their reaction to help,
emphasized when describing the room as to encourage the giving the character advantage on their skill check
group to at least attempt to solve the puzzle before trying to to avoid going over the edge. A character who fails
cross the chasm using other methods. Read or summarize the their saving throw and skill check falls 80 feet to
following when the party reaches this obstacle: the bottom of the chasm, suffering 8d6
bludgeoning damage and falling prone.
As you move forward, you see that the floor ahead drops away
suddenly into a deep chasm that stretches the entire width of When the first chain is pulled, read or summarize the
the room. Looking over the edge, you see nothing but following:
darkness. The pit descends down further than you can see. The
ceiling above the chasm extends upwards 50 feet. Hanging As you pull the chain, you feel the resistance from springs and
from that ceiling, you see several wooden platforms suspended mechanical devices attached to the chain in the ceiling above.
on chains. The platforms are arranged in a scattered pattern of The sounds of gears grinding and chains moving echo off the
different locations and different heights, some very close to walls of the chamber. You notice that one of the platforms
the ceiling with others only 20 feet above you. Next to the wall hanging from the ceiling has changed position and has moved
on your right are a group of six chains hanging from the ceiling. closer to the ground, while another platform moved up towards
Each chain has a circular medallion hanging from the end of it. the ceiling.
Each medallion has markings painted onto it.
The Solution
The chasm is 70 feet across. Whether or not the group can When the chains are pulled in the correct sequence, the
see the other side depends on the lighting of the environment platforms properly align and form a bridge that the characters
and their vision abilities. A character that can see the other can walk across to pass over the chasm. This puzzle does not
side simply sees that the chasm ends, and solid ground have a timed reset of its mechanism or sequence. Whenever
returns at the same level they are currently standing. the correct first chain is pulled, that begins the tracking of the
current sequence. Basically when the first chain in the
Characters who examine the chains will notice that each sequence is pulled, the puzzle begins checking for the proper
medallion has a unique design painted onto it. See Diagram sequence following from that point.
1.5 and Appendix E for an example of possible designs. The
trick here is deciphering what the designs represent and The designs provided in the sample in Diagram 1.5
figuring out the proper sequence to pull the chains. Each represent the rising and setting sun over the horizon. The sun
chain will move multiple platforms, which is why the rises in the east - design C, with the quarter sun on the right
sequence is important to the solution. Even if they pull a side of the panel. Then rises straight in the sky at noon -
correct chain, if they pull it in the wrong order, a subsequent design F, with the yellow circle fully visible above the horizon.
yank on another chain will move it out of position. Next, the sun sets in the west - design E, with the quarter sun
on the left side of the panel. Lastly, the sun vanishes beyond
the horizon and is out of sight - design A. As mentioned, these
designs can be replaced with anything you like, as long as a
logical sequence can be deduced by the players.

15

When the last correct chain is pulled in its correct order, read Hints and Handout
or summarize the following: See Appendix E for a handout that can be given to players
showing the appearance of the designs on the chains. For
As this chain is pulled, the platforms adjust once again, moving players who have difficulty solving this puzzle, the following
up and down, and rotating in all directions. When the shapes clues can help point them towards the correct solution:
finish moving, you see that they have come to a halt in a
position that provides a bridge across the chasm. Several of the If the group fails to understand or recognize the designs, a
platforms are perfectly aligned to form a continuous path so successful DC 12 Intelligence (History) or Wisdom
the group can safely walk across them to the other side. (Survival) check allows the symbols to be identified as the
sun and the horizon.
The proper solution is: If characters continue to pull the same incorrect chains
1. Symbol C - Sun rising in the east. repeatedly, they can become stuck in the pulled position. If
2. Symbol F - Sun in the sky at noon. characters cannot pull the incorrect chains, they’ll be
3. Symbol E - Sun setting in the west. directed towards the correct chains.
4. Symbol A - Sun vanished beyond the horizon. A character examining the pattern in which the platforms
are moving when the chains are pulled can realize that the
order of the chains is important with a successful DC 11
Wisdom (Perception) check.

DIAGRAM 1.5: CHAIN SYMBOLS B C

A

D EF

16

Pushing Forward Back Similarly, someone looking down the hallway will lose sight
of creatures or items moving away from them once they have
Becoming lost in a dungeon is nothing new. Getting confused gone 10 feet away from them. This effect isn’t a magical
about where they are going and where they have been is a disappearance, but more of an accelerated loss of visual
standard experience for adventurers. This magical encounter contact due to the distance. The DM can describe this as if the
provides a new twist on that experience by having players creature or item has moved away at a faster than usual rate,
wind up exactly where they started, even when they are them vanishing into a strange fog, or a trick being played on
certain they’ve done nothing but walk in a straight line. the eyes due to flickering shadows. The important aspect here
is that while the players will quickly realize they are getting
The Puzzle turned around, it takes some time for them to figure out when
This puzzle involves a long, straight hallway that the party it is happening or how.
must travel down in order to advance further in their
adventure. The length of the hallway is at the DM’s discretion, The Solution
but should be at least 30 feet. When the character gets Characters will likely go through a few trips of the reversal
halfway down the hallway, they get turned around and head process trying to understand what is happening. Once they
back in the direction they came from, despite them not understand they’re getting turned around without their
physically changing direction or sensing any type of force or knowledge, then they must figure out how to overcome the
altering of their movement. The character experiences this as effect. The solution is for them to find the midway point in the
if they are simply walking in a straight line, but always wind hallway, and for them to physically change direction and turn
up where they began. There is no physical indication that this around at that midway point. Since the effect turns them
is happening to them. around at that point, the characters turning themselves
around will point them in the direction they want to go and
While this hallway can be inserted into any location, it lead them to the opposite end of the hallway. A detect magic
should be done in a way that the starting point is obviously spell or successful DC 12 Intelligence (Arcana) check will
and clearly also the ending point when they get turned around reveal the exact location of the magical effect and indicate the
by the trickery. Although it might take the players a moment to midpoint of the hallway where they need to turn around.
understand what happened, they should soon realize they are Otherwise, trial and error or some other clever techniques can
heading back in the same direction they came from, even if it help identify this point in the hallway.
takes them a few rooms or areas to realize it. Some examples
that can help indicate they are back where they came from Hints
include: Characters who struggle to come up with the solution can be
given hints by the DM. Some possible hints given to
A wooden door that the party just opened and remains bewildered groups include:
open.
An empty treasure chest the group recently looted. A successful DC 11 Wisdom (Survival or Perception)
A room with distinct features, such as a long stone table or check can give the player the idea to throw or shoot a
a desk with several books on it. projectile down the hallway to see what happens. Note that
The dead bodies of several enemies the party just defeated. any harmful spells or projectiles will come right back at the
There is a magical effect on the hallway that causes this party, and they should roll appropriate attack rolls (against
phenomenon. That same effect also does strange things to the themselves!) or saving throws.
lighting and the ability for creatures to see ahead of them. A successful DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence
While it seems that they have clear vision down the hallway, (Nature) check reminds a player to drop breadcrumbs on
shapes and objects in the distance only become clear when the ground as they walk down the hallway. When the
they are within 10 feet of the end of them. This feature breadcrumbs end (and begin to double up in the opposite
prevents creatures affected by the weirdness from direction), they will realize they’ve reached the point where
immediately realizing they’ve been turned around as soon as it they get turned around.
happens. For example, if the hallway is 60 feet long and a A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence
character can usually see 60 feet, when they get to the (Investigation) check reveals that looking at the pattern of
midway point at 30 feet, they would essentially be able to see the bricks on the floor could be a clue. While the stones
the landmark at the end of the hallway they just came from and bricks are of different shapes and patterns for the
immediately. The magical aura here prevents that, meaning length of the hallway, there is one totally straight and
the character would have to walk 20 more feet (in their mind, uniformly sized line of bricks at the midway point in the
50 feet away from where they came, but in reality, 20 feet back hallway.
in the direction they came from) before any creatures or
notable landmarks from that spot come back into view.

17

Like Clockwork The clockwork creations are small mechanical creatures with
an AC of 11 and 10 hit points each. If the party destroys one
To solve this puzzle, players will have to recognize the and examines its remains, a successful DC 12 Intelligence
existence of patterns and then use those patterns to locate a (Investigation) check reveals a series of weights and wires that
hidden object. are indicative of it being programmed to follow a pattern.
Destroying and examining multiple automatons shows they all
The Puzzle have very similar settings in this regard. Any automaton that is
The setting is a large room filled with a wide variety of items. destroyed is replaced by another from within the walls. There
This could be a treasure vault, library, warehouse, or any type are fifty living in the walls in total, and the group would have to
of building or room that would have a large number of items destroy all of them before they stop carrying out their duty of
stored in it. The quantity of items and size of the room is arranging misplaced items.
important to the mechanics of this puzzle because the
characters are essentially trying to find a single small item The Solution
among a vast array of similar items. An important point to There are two parts to solving this riddle. The first is the
emphasize while describing this scene is that it would take a characters realizing that there are patterns and an order to
very long time to find the sought-after item by simply how the clockwork creatures organize the items. A successful
searching using traditional means. Describing their objective DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation)
as “trying to find a needle in a haystack” (or another metaphor check by a character who is watching the automatons in
of your liking) should help the players realize there has to be action reveals that there is a system behind their actions. The
an easier way to find what they are looking for. character will notice that they are definitely moving the same
types of items in the same direction. Once the group realizes
In the example scenario for this puzzle, the players are that, the second part towards the solution is using those
trying to find a large magical ruby stashed somewhere within patterns to help figure out where the item they are looking for
a vast treasure vault. There are shelves, chests, bowls, vases, would be kept. The characters can do this by disrupting the
and tables spread around the room. Large piles of coins and items in the room, either by knocking them over or displacing
gems lie against some of the walls and pillars, while neatly them. They can also introduce new items for the automatons
stacked coins rest against the walls. However, what might to sort by simply placing them on the ground.
initially look like disorganized chaos does contain a hidden
order to it. The key to that order are tiny clockwork
automatons deployed by the vault’s owner. These creations
are tasked with moving and sorting items into their
appropriate places. When the party enters the room, have
each character roll a Dexterity ability check. The player with
the lowest result accidentally kicks over a stack of gold. Read
or summarize the following:

As you enter the room and look around at the treasures
surrounding you, you fail to notice a stack of gold coins piled
neatly against the wall. You kick over the stack and send the
coins scattering across the floor. Within moments, a small
crab-like creation emerges from a nearby hole in the wall and
heads towards the spilled coins. You notice that the creature is
made up of various gears and springs as its claws work to pick
up the coins and place them back into a stack. Once the coins
are ordered, the automaton scampers away and disappears
back into the wall.

These clockwork automatons live within the walls around the
room and are programmed to arrange the items in a very
specific way. Gold coins will be stacked against the east wall,
while silver coins are stacked against the west wall. Magic
wands go in the chest with the bronze trim while magic
necklaces are placed on the table with the red tablecloth.
When items are where they belong, there is nothing for the
automatons to do, and they remain dormant within the walls.
When the items are disrupted or new items are added to the
collection, they go to work. Putting the clockwork creatures to
work and following where they place certain things is the key
to solving this puzzle.

18

Raising The Stakes Hints
For parties who are having trouble solving this puzzle, the
Given enough time, the group will find the item following hints can point them towards a solution:
eventually. Without a sense of urgency, they might
even ignore the automaton patterns and search for If the group hasn’t realized that the clockwork creatures
the item the traditional way. The sound of an alarm are important in solving this, a large rat scurries across the
going off, with hostile creatures coming to check room and knocks over several items. This sends several
things out at any moment, is one method of automatons into action at once and should certainly draw
increasing the pressure on the group. The alarm can the attention of the players.
be triggered by opening the door to the room, If the rat still hasn’t tipped them off towards looking at the
tripping over a hidden wire, or when the first item automatons, have a lost NPC goblin stumble into the room,
within the room is disrupted. Once the alarm is knock some items over, and run back out shouting, “Me
sounded, the group has 1d4+1 rounds before hates this room! Stupid gear thingys making everything
guards arrive. Although there is no combat yet, neat! Me likes messes!” Several automatons will rush to
initiative rolls should be made and characters must clean up his mess.
adhere to their usual turn guidelines for what they If the characters have recognized the pattern, but fail to
can do. If they solve the puzzle and find the item understand how to use it to find the item they are looking
before the guards arrive, they can slip away and for, a successful DC 12 Intelligence check gives them the
avoid combat. However, if the guards arrive before idea to try placing their own objects upon the ground to
they find the item, combat ensues. The guard see how the clockwork creatures react to them. The
encounter should be of proper CR to be a medium creatures will come out and sort those items as expected.
difficulty encounter for the group. If the party If the characters understand how to find the item, but do
defeats the guards, they can continue the search, not have any items similar to the item they are looking for
but unless they find a way to disable the sounding to use to lead the automatons to their desired item, have
alarm, more guards will arrive before long. the clumsy goblin drop a suitable item as he rushes out of
the room. In this case, the goblin drops a large red glass
For the treasure room and large ruby example, players who ball – worthless in value, but close enough to a large red
knock over coins or move around items will notice that the ruby that it will be sorted to the same location.
automatons will always put them back where they came from.
However, that doesn’t make it any easier to find the ruby, since
the stash of large red gems may be hard to find or out of plain
sight. In this scenario, all gems are placed in vases along the
north and west walls. A gem that is moved from one of these
containers will be returned to the one it was removed from. A
gem that is introduced by the party will be sorted based on its
color and size. A red gem will go in one direction. A large gem
will go in a similar direction, but different vase. A large red
gem will lead them directly to the location of the item they are
looking for.

Although observing the clockwork creations and taking
advantage of their predictable movements is the most efficient
way of finding the item, the players should be allowed a
chance to search in a more traditional manner. The chances
of them finding the item by looking around the room are
directly related to how much time they spend searching. The
check to see if they find the item will be a percentage roll
using a 1d100. For every hour spent manually searching, their
chances of finding the item increases by 5%. For one hour, a
result of 1-5 on a 1d100 means they find the item. If they
spend two hours, the success range increases to 1-10 on a
1d100. All the way up to 20 hours spent searching, they will
have a 99% chance of finding the item – a roll of 100 will still
be a failure. Twenty hours is a lot of time to spend searching,
but the group could get lucky and find the item in less time.
See the Raising the Stakes sidebar for details on making time
a component to solving this puzzle, which certainly will not
allow the group the luxury of searching for the item for 20
consecutive uninterrupted hours.

19

Key Words Since the words are written in a variety of languages, it is
possible that the party does not contain any characters who
Solving this puzzle will require the party to locate a set of speak one or more of the specified languages. Here are a few
words and speak them in the correct order. While that might possibilities for deal with that scenario:
not initially seem like much of a challenge, locating those
words and understanding the languages they are written in This becomes part of the challenge itself. The party must
can add a level of complexity. find a creative way to translate those words.
The group obtains one or more scrolls containing the
The Puzzle comprehend languages spell. These can be placed within a
The party approaches a large stone door with no visible chest in the dungeon, looted from defeated enemies, or
handles or locks. The door cannot be opened by physical or purchased from a nearby vendor.
magical means, and remains firmly in place until the key The party comes across an NPC that speaks one or more
phrase is spoken aloud. Examining the door reveals that it is of the required languages. This can become obvious when
locked by magical means, and that only a specific key of some the NPC greets the group in a language they do not
kind will open it, although, with no key hole, what that key understand. The NPC also speaks Common, so they are
may be is part of the mystery. capable of translating the words, for a small fee.
The DM can change the words into a language the group
There are several scenes carved into and around the door, does know. For the most simplistic solution, all the words
all depicting portrayals of two or more humanoid figures can be written in Common.
standing in groups. Several races are represented among the
figures - humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, halflings, tieflings, Raising The Stakes
dragonborn, orc, goliaths, aarakocra, and giants. A successful
DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) Once the group finds all the words and understands
check by a character examining these carvings will reveal that they must speak them in a particular order to
the figures appear to be conversing with one another. While unlock the door, the sense of danger can be
some of the displays vary in tone and number of figures, the increased with the threat of injury for failed
poses, gestures, and open mouths carved into the scenes attempts. In this scenario, one of the statues
convey a message of verbal communication between the (logically the dragonborn barbarian or majestic
characters. The words that make up the phrase that must be stag), is located straight down the hallway from the
spoken to unlock the door are located somewhere on the door. When the key words are spoken in the
same level as the door. As with other puzzles in this book, the incorrect order, the statue charges down the
DM is free to customize this puzzle to place those words hallway and smashes into the door. Any character
wherever they may fit within their own adventure. Within this within its path must make a successful DC 11
example, the words are carved into the base of statues located Dexterity saving throw or take 3d8 bludgeoning
throughout the dungeon. See the table below for a list of the damage. The trap resets and the statue slowly
statues and words carved into each. Any character that returns to its original position after 5 minutes.
examines a statue finds the word with a successful DC 8 Although the key word lock is magical in nature, the
Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check. statue is moved by a spring loaded mechanical
device. It can be disabled with a successful DC 13
Map 1.2 on the next page and the maps found in Appendix thieves' tools check.
F are examples illustrating the locations of the statues Alternatively, rather than having a statue from down
scattered throughout a dungeon level. For a more the hallway charge at the door, the statue that holds
straightforward solution, the statues can be standing on either the word meant to be spoken next charges from
side of the main hallway. While this eliminates the exploration wherever it may be on the floor. For example, if they
aspect of the puzzle, the players will still need to notice the get the first word wrong, the halfling (who has the
words, translate them, and form the correct key word first word "All" carved into it) is the one that comes
sentence in order to solve this puzzle. crashing through. This can provide an additional
clue to help the players solve the puzzle if they
notice different statues arrive based on where they
are in the phrase.

Statue Description Word Language
A smiling halfling lifting a mug of ale in the air as a toast. “All” Halfling
An elven ranger with a bow and quiver slung across her back, arms spread wide in a friendly gesture. “Together” Elvish
A majestic stag deer looking into the distance, large antlers almost touching the ceiling of the room. “We” Sylvan
A tall dragonborn barbarian wielding a two-handed axe and holding it in position to swing downwards “Are” Draconic
with a ferocious attack.
A human bard sitting on a stool and strumming a lute, she wears a fancy cap with a feather in it and her “The” Common
mouth is open in song. “Key” Dwarvish
A dwarf priest in long, flowing robes, with hands folded in prayer and a key hanging from his belt.

20

The Solution Hints and Tips
When the party has found all the words that make up the key For groups that are having a tough time solving this puzzle,
phrase, opening the door is a matter of speaking the phrase the following hints can help lead them to the correct solution:
out loud within 20 feet of the door. The correct phrase is: “All
together we are the key.” When the correct phrase is spoken, If the group is having a hard time realizing that a spoken
the mouths of the figures carved into the door glow a bright phrase is the key, a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception)
blue color, and the door slowly swings open. The door check (or a passive Perception 12 or higher) notices that
remains open for 1 hour, after which it will close and will the mouths on the carvings glow with a faint red light
require the key phrase spoken again to open. The opposite when words are spoken within 20 feet of the door.
side of the door has a lever that can be pulled in order to open For characters having trouble finding the words carved
it. The key phrase need only be used from the initial direction into the statues, the DM may give one of the statues a
when approaching the door. noticeable feature that causes the party to examine it more
closely. This could be the statue being part of a trap, such
as the dragonborn statue swinging its axe at any character
that gets too close. This could also be an audible clue, such
as a singing voice coming from the human bard statue, or a
visual clue, such as the key hanging from the cleric statue
emitting a glowing aura.
If the characters have collected the words but do not
understand how to use them, a successful DC 12
Intelligence (Arcana or History) check reveals that some
magical locks can be opened by speaking key phrases.

MAP 1.2 - KEY WORD DOOR AND STATUE LOCATIONS

21

Appendix A: Puzzle Traps

The level of danger for some of these puzzles can be adjusted by selecting different spells as the trap component for the encounter.
The tables in this appendix provide some suggestions and options for spells to be used as those traps. While the tables provide
several of the details about each spell, some of them may include additional effects. Please consult the source material for full
details on each spell.

The first table shows the recommended spells for each of the puzzles with variable trap components. See the details within each
puzzle for descriptions of what triggers the trap and when they reset. These suggestions for each Tier of character levels take into
consideration the likelihood and frequency of the trap being set off.

Puzzle Tier 1 (Levels 1-4) Tier 2 (Levels 5-10) Tier 3 (Levels 11-16 ) Tier 4 (Levels 17+)
Colors and Clatter (Saving Throw) (Saving Throw) (Saving Throw) (Saving Throw)
Under Pressure Thunderclap Shatter Fireball Incendiary Cloud
Red Light, Green Light (DC 10 CON) (DC 12 CON) (DC 13 DEX) (DC 16 DEX)
Thunderwave Lightning Bolt Fire Storm Chain Lightning
(DC 11 CON) (DC 13 DEX) (DC 14 CON) (DC 16 DEX)
Magic Missile Cloudkill Cone of Cold
(None) (DC 13 CON) (DC 14 CON) Abi-Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting
(DC 17 CON)

The following table provides additional options for spells to be used as traps based upon the the level tier of the party, how
dangerous the trap would be, and whether it would affect a single target or multiple targets in an area. A trap intended to be a
setback is unlikely to kill or seriously harm characters of the indicated levels, whereas a dangerous trap is likely to seriously injure
(and potentially kill) characters of the indicated levels. A deadly trap is likely to kill characters of the indicated levels.

Single Target or
Character Tier Trap Danger Area of Effect DC Spell - Range (Area) - Saving Throw - Damage (Type)

1 Setback Fire Bolt - 120 - DEX - 1d10 (Fire)
Single Target 10 Poison Spray - 10 - CON - 1d12 (Poison)
Sacred Flame - 60 - DEX - 1d8 (Radiant)

Hellish Rebuke - 60 - DEX - 2d10 (Fire)
1 Dangerous Single Target 11 Magic Missile - 120 - None - 3d4 + 3 (Force)

Dissonant Whispers - 60 - WIS - 3d6 (Psychic)

1 Deadly Single Target 12 Phantasmal Killer - 120 - WIS - 4d10 (Psychic)

1 Setback Area of Effect 10 Thunderclap - 5 - CON - 1d6 (Thunder)

Moonbeam - 120 (5) - CON - 2d10 (Radiant)
1 Dangerous Area of Effect 11 Shatter - 60 (10) - CON - 3d8 (Thunder)

Thunderwave - 5 (15) - CON - 2d8 (Thunder)

1 Deadly Area of Effect 12 Circle of Death - 150 (60) - CON - 8d6 (Necrotic)
Cloudkill - 120 (20) - CON - 5d8 (Poison)

2 Setback Single Target 12 Hellish Rebuke - 60 - DEX - 2d10 (Fire)
Magic Missile - 120 - None - 3d4 + 3 (Force)

2 Dangerous Single Target 13 Phantasmal Killer - 120 - WIS - 4d10 (Psychic)

2 Deadly Single Target 14 Harm - 60 - CON - 14d6 (Necrotic)

Setback Moonbeam - 120 (5) - CON - 2d10 (Radiant)
2 Area of Effect 12 Shatter - 60 (10) - CON - 3d8 (Thunder)
Thunderwave - 5 (15) - CON - 2d8 (Thunder)

Circle of Death - 150 (60) - CON - 8d6 (Necrotic)
Cloudkill - 120 (20) - CON - 5d8 (Poison)
2 Dangerous Area of Effect 13 Fireball - 150 (20) - DEX - 8d6 (Fire)

Lightning Bolt - 100 - DEX - 8d6 (Lightning)

Otiluke's Freezing Sphere - 300 (60) - CON - 10d6 (Cold)
Cone of Cold - 60 - CON - 8d8 (Cold)
2 Deadly Area of Effect 14 Fire Storm - 150 (100) - CON - 7d10 (Fire)
Chain Lightning - 150 - DEX - 10d8 (Lightning)
22 Incendiary Cloud - 150 (20) - DEX - 10d8 (Fire)

Single Target or
Character Tier Trap Danger Area of Effect DC Spell - Range (Area) - Saving Throw - Damage (Type)

3 Setback Single Target 13 Phantasmal Killer - 120 - WIS - 4d10 (Psychic)

3 Dangerous Single Target 14 Harm - 60 - CON - 14d6 (Necrotic)

3 Deadly Single Target 15 Finger of Death - 60 - CON - 7d8 + 30 (Necrotic)

Circle of Death - 150 (60) - CON - 8d6 (Necrotic)
Cloudkill - 120 (20) - CON - 5d8 (Poison)
3 Setback Area of Effect 13 Fireball - 150 (20) - DEX - 8d6 (Fire)

Lightning Bolt - 100 - DEX - 8d6 (Lightning)

Cone of Cold - 60 - CON - 8d8 (Cold)
Fire Storm - 150 (100) - CON - 7d10 (Fire)
Chain Lightning - 150 - DEX - 10d8 (Lightning)
3 Dangerous Area of Effect 14 Incendiary Cloud - 150 (20) - DEX - 10d8 (Fire)

Sunburst - 150 (60) - CON - 12d6 (Radiant)
Delayed Blast Fireball - 150 (20) - DEX - 12d6 (Fire)

3 Deadly Area of Effect 15 Abi-Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting - 150 (30) - CON - 12d8 (Necrotic)

4 Setback Single Target 16 Harm - 60 - CON - 14d6 (Necrotic)

4 Dangerous Single Target 17 Finger of Death - 60 - CON - 7d8 + 30 (Necrotic)

4 Deadly Single Target 18 Power Word Kill - 60 - None - Target under 100 hps dies

Cone of Cold - 60 - CON - 8d8 (Cold)
Fire Storm - 150 (100) - CON - 7d10 (Fire)
Chain Lightning - 150 - DEX - 10d8 (Lightning)
4 Setback Area of Effect 16 Incendiary Cloud - 150 (20) - DEX - 10d8 (Fire)

Sunburst - 150 (60) - CON - 12d6 (Radiant)
Delayed Blast Fireball - 150 (20) - DEX - 12d6 (Fire)

4 Dangerous Area of Effect 17 Abi-Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting - 150 (30) - CON - 12d8 (Necrotic)

4 Deadly Area of Effect 18 Meteor Swarm - 600 (40) - DEX - 20d6 (Fire) + 20d6 (Bludgeoning)

23

Appendix B: Triangle Lock

24

Appendix C: Button Panel Runes

War & Danger Safety & Shelter Fey Fire
Decision Goblins Death Chaos
Guardian Camping Place Religious Site
The Air Safe Passage The Earth The Water
The Sun

25

Appendix D: Sand Sculpture Symbols

26

Appendix E: Chain Handle Designs

27

Appendix F: Maps

Under Pressure

28

Mirror, Mirror A

29

Mirror, Mirror B

30

Key Words A

31

Key Words B

32

A Challenge
Of Wits

And Reason

Adventurers need much more than just brute
force, magical powers, and nimble moves in
order to survive the dangers that await them. A
sharp mind is just as important as a sharp sword.
When faced with a challenging puzzle, finding
the solution can be the difference between
victory and defeat.

Puzzles, Predicaments, and Perplexities contains
a collection of logic puzzles, brain teasers, and
encoded sequences intended to test the problem
solving and deductive reasoning of characters
and players. These puzzles are designed to be
easily placed into any adventure with no
additional work, yet also provide guidance on
how Dungeon Masters can customize the details
to best fit into their own campaigns.

A Dungeons & Dragons supplement for
adventures of all levels and types
to be used by Dungeon Masters.